Visiting Seattle, need some GA tips

[Bolter]

We will be flying to Seattle for 4th of July weekend. I would appreciate some tips from any members who live or know the Seattle area.

My first questions are about airports:

We are staying at a downtown hotel, so I was planning on going to Boeing Field (KBFI). Does this make sense? Do you have a preferred FBO?

Second: Is there a "canned" scenic tour route you can ask the tower for? For example, in San Francisco you can ask for the "Bay Tour" and that is a specific route over the bay and the bridges.

thanks,

-dan

"em-oh-oh-en spells Mooney"

[mooneygirl]

I would recommend flying into KBFI.  We used AeroFlight as the FBO if memory serves.  They had a shuttle to the Museum of Flight, no ramp fees, and I seem to remember getting complimentary tickets to the museum.  We were staying with family, so I don't have a recommendation on lodging. The controllers [seattle Approach] are used to folks asking to take the "scenic" route.  As you can imagine it is busy airspace, but I felt comfortable and the sights were just spectacular. 

Have a fun time!

[thinwing]

Hi there,last time we went we flew into lake union   w55(you could only do that once in a mooney though).The thing that impressed me was the traffic...I would pick closest to your hotel but have used renton krnt due to freeway construction...have a great time.PS...curious about your avatar...one of the more intreguing characters of all I discovered in the stand...kpc

[Bolter]

And the forecast is for unusually clear and sunny, which is the best you could hope for when going into Seattle for the first time, IFR rated or not.  

 

The login name and avatar are based on a vague joke.  In Stephen King's "The Stand", the character "Tom Cullen" was, to be polite, "slow".  His trademark was "em oh oh en" spells Colorado," or anything else he could not spell.  He was so close to spelling Mooney, I figured he deserved some credit. (:>)

 

I looked up W55, the landing area is certainly long enough, but I think will stick with KBFI due to the proximity to downtown and increased chance of reusing the plane for the trip home.  ...-dan

[Bolter]

Just to close the discussion, this is a summary of my Seattle trip, as may be useful to others.

Airport: I went to KBFI (Boeing-King County Field)  Other than the east side parallel taxiway under construction, everything is good.   I got to see a brand new 787 taking off as I was on downwind to land.  Very cool.  There is an aviation museum that I did not get to go to, but it looked to be impressive in size.  

FBO: I took her advice and went to Aeroflight.  They were not fancy like some high dollar jet stops, but everything was good, though somewhat disrupted by the construction.  Fuel was cheaper than the other FBO's and parking was free for the entire stay with a fuel purchase (scheduled 4 nights, but I left a day early).   Nice pilot comforts such as the planning lounge, refreshments, couches, etc.  Also, they don't move your plane if ask to keep your spot.  Important for we Mooney owners who fear for the vulnerable front linkage.

Airspace: I was able to get Class B clearance arriving and departing, just for asking.  Controllers made it easy to find my way around, but I was fortunate to have clear and sunny everyday I was there.   Watch for traffic low over the city either giving tours, heading to the nearby float base, or coming to KBFI with you.  I saw several planes in the air everytime.  

Scenic route: Never got to try it.  Looking at the terminal area chart, if you stay below 3000 you can fly over the water and past all the good spots without entering Class B.  A GPS certainly helps here.  

-dan

[bgpilot1]

Sorry I missed your post.  Have lived in Seattle and here is what I would recommend for future flights for anyone.

KBFI is closest to Seattle and Aeroflight is cheapest and best FBO.  Boeing Museum of Flight is great.  Also around the field are two unique restaurants.  Randy's Diner and an Hangar cafe just north of the field.  Georgetown is just north of the field and has some unique places - strip of restaurants and bars.  Old warehouse look and feel with blue collar croud.  Stella's Pizza and Calamity Jane's where you can get Johnny Cakes if you know what they are (Rhode Island peeps). 

KBFI has traffic noise abatement procedures.  A bit tricky if coming in from the west, stay at 800 over land until turning 45 for downwind.  East - don't pass over the hospital.  You can enter from the north by announcing over the I 405 bridge and they will vector you right over downtown. 

Renton is a good option if staying south of downtown.  There is a flight school on the south side and another FBO in the middle.  Park at the Renton City parking spots just below the tower for extended stay.

North of Seattle - Everett Paine Field.  Use the east runway for GA flights - around 4000 feet.  Easy straight in from the south.  Also a great little GA airport just east - Harvey Field with skydiving and fantastic diner / restaurant with good views.  Runway is bumpy and approach from the north is over trees but not difficult.  Untowered with grass strip as well so be diligent of unsuspecting pilots.

Recommended area flights. 

Tacoma WA - airport with restaurant on field.

Orcas Eastsound - great scenic walk through the woods to the town, about 10 minutes.

Friday Harbor

If I had a day, I would start at Boeing field, fly to Harvey Field, Orcas Eastsound, Friday Harbor, Tacoma and back to BFI.  Then do downtown Seattle at night.  Many unique places in and around Seattle.  Check out yelp.com for restaurant recomendations.

Barry

[FullyArticulate]

The Museum of Flight (which you can park in front of if you give them a call in advance, so no need for a rental/courtesy car) also has a cafe that's got fairly typical museum food. The museum is great--I've flown from Portland a few times just to visit.

 

[M016576]

I flew a hornet into Boeing field a few years back, and they gave me something like the "visual bay approach."  It was in my approach plates- it takes you right along the water front at 3000 feet, then drops down to 1500 feet and flows up the bay straight in to boeing field... It's a great approach!

on a side note- I used clay lacy while I was there- they were great, although I can't attest to the price, as I wasn't footing the bill :-)

[Bolter]

When I planned the tirp, I expected to be flying in IFR, what with the Seattle weather reputation.   As it was severe clear and sunny, I opted for VFR with flight following.  I looked up the Harbor Visual 13R.  That is pretty much the routing I got from ATC, except it turned into a downwind for 31L instead of straight into 13R.  

I think that you can usually rely on CLay Lacy, Signature, and Millionaire type places to treat you well, though many poeple have preferences even at this level.  It is the "little" guys that need the personal reports from us.  Especially if they save you money! :-)